Improvement in explosive compounds



composition for inst-ance,thrown upon a tire,

teaser tierrrnn Snares FATEN'I Orrron.

CARL N. VOLXEY, OF BOSTON, ASSIGSOE TO GEORGE M. MOVBRAY, OF NORTH" ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

meas rement in EXPLQSiVE-I communes.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,397, dated March 5, 1872 I, CARL W. Vomznr, of Boston, Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a newand usei'ul Explosive Compound, to be used for blasting, in shells, torpedoes, and for military, naval, or civil engineering purposes, where a powerful and perfectly safe explosive is required, possessing similar ex.- plosive properties to nitro-glycerine, but which is incapable of being exploded by concussion or agitation, nor is it liable to spontaneous deor red hot coals, it burns with flameand with out explosion; placedon a cold anvil and struck with a blacksmiths hammer it does not ex plode. lhe common mode of exploding nitro-glycerine, aspatented by A. Nobel, will not explode it; The very powerful electric fuseexploders, patented by G. M. Mowbray, however, are capable of exploding i in which case there is no tamping or confinement needed.

It may be transported in any vehicle, railroad car or steamboat, absolutely without the possibility of explosion, and in case of tires would only burn like oil.

lhe above are some of thefeatures which distinguish this compound from nitro-glyccrine. Being a homogeneous liquidyat ordinary telnper-attire, when exploded in the manner de scribed, it is wholly converted into gaseous matter, and this distinguishes it from ('Q'llilllh ite, dualin, and other mixtures of nitroglycerine with inert mutter.

To enable others skilled in the art to pre pare this coinpiuurd, l-will proceed to describe my process.

in the first place I proceed to make niiro glycerine by adding out? part of glycerine to nine parts of a mixture composed of sixtysix parts of sulphuric acid 66 Baum, and thirty three parts of nitric acid 50 Bunnie, adopting the usual precautions to avoid overheating; and, when the ingredients have reacted, pouring the mixture into water and thoroughly washing the product. This gives me 1.5 parts of nitro-glyeerine. Inext prepare in a precisely similar manner what I call ni tro toluol, substituting, however, for the glycerine used in the above-mentioned process, benzole of comzneroe, the boiling point of which I prefer should be from 110 to 120 Fahrenheit, and for the intro-sulphuric acid,-substitutiu c; ni trio acid of the specitic gravity of 1500 now dissolve three parts of the' latter compound, which I have termed nitrotoluol in seven parts of the nitro-glycerine, making a homogeneous liquid; this is the explosive com pound which I have invented.

Variations of these proportions may be used, but if the compound-termed nitrotoluolis used in greater proportion than above specified, I have found in close tunnels, mining levels, or places where the ventilationis imperfect, that the gases given ofi' after the explosion are apt to atieet the miners injuriously.

Having thus fully described my new compound, 1 would state that I am aware that, in the patent grantedto A. Nobel, benzole ismentioned as asubstance which may be mixed with nitro-glycerine; this I do not claim, but- \Vhat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

An ergplosivemixture consistingot' nitro-glycerine and n'itrotoluol or nitro-benzole, in about the proportions herein described.

CARL W. VOLN EY. [L. 8.1 Witnesses: I

Gno. M. MowBRAY,

' JAMES WALLACE. 

